Texas tenors have been energizing the jazz scene since the Swing-era sounds of Arnett Cobb and Illinois Jacquet. The hard boppers redefined the genre by adding elements of gospel and R&B. All of the Texas tenors shared a propensity to push the swing right to the edge and a deep, hefty tone. "Fathead" was a childhood nickname but it could also apply to Newman's rich sound.

The recording pulses with the excitement and energy of an impromptu jam session, right down to the occasional squeal of a recalcitrant mouthpiece. The title cut is an uptempo blues that, at over 12 minutes long, has the soloists developing and expanding their ideas in classic bop style. "Figgur-Ration" opens with the two horns playing a soli that quotes Charlie Parker's "Cool Blues." The relative cool of the ballad, "What's New," still burns with quiet intensity. Unlike Newman and Clay's prairie homeland, these Wide Open Spaces are densely populated with exuberance, phenomenal chops and a perpetual flow of ideas.